Cameron: I’ll quit if I cannot deliver EU referendum

DAVID CAMERON has vowed to resign as prime minister if he cannot deliver an in-out referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU after the general election.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, he announced: “I have made a clear and personal commitment: I would not be Prime Minister of a government unless we could carry out our pledge of an in-out referendum. This is a fundamental principle for me.”

In a clear bid to win over Eurosceptics, he proclaims his “passionate” and “optimistic” belief in Britain and its potential, declaring that “real” patriots should vote Tory rather than be swayed towards Ukip.

He offers three reasons why undecided voters should choose his party. He argues that only the Conservatives can deliver meaningful reforms to the terms of Britain’s membership of the EU, and says only his party has a “long-term plan” for reforming Europe.

Thirdly, he says his is the most optimistic party. “To me, real patriotism isn’t running your country down at every opportunity, it is seeing its strengths and building on them — because time and again, the doom-mongers turn out to be wrong,” he argues.

Cameron’s article comes as postal ballot papers arrive in UK homes for the European elections. Nervous Tories are demanding new policies to win back Ukip voters. They fear Nigel Farage’s party will beat the Tories into third place at the forthcoming poll.